The final countdown…

Who are Hoylake Vision?A group of local volunteer residents and businesses, and we love Hoylake. We are not part of the council.

So what are you up to?Since 2011 we have been producing the Hoylake Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) in consultation with local residents and businesses.

What do you want from me?On 1st December 2016 you will be asked to vote at an important local referendum on the plan. The referendum question will be “Do you want Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Hoylake to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?” We need you to vote “Yes”.

Why?Maybe you don’t want things to change much, because you think Hoylake is already a great place to live. We agree.

Maybe you think that some things could be better, and wish there was a way to make that happen. We agree.

Maybe you think some things are actually getting worse, and wish there was a way to ‘stop the rot’. We agree.

We’re here for all of those reasons. But first and foremost, while wanting to celebrate and protect the best of Hoylake, we recognise that some change is inevitable and necessary in order to keep any town or village ‘alive’. And we believe local residents and businesses should have a much greater say in future decision making around how that change happens, when it happens, and what it looks like. It really is that simple.

What kind of changes?Firstly, it protects: the plan will give greater protection over the best of our existing assets, whether buildings or green space, from demolition or unsuitable development.

Secondly, it manages change: it is inevitable that over time new houses, shops, offices and other buildings will be built; the plan will influence how and where that happens. So if developers want to pursue an idea, it will need to comply with the plan.

Thirdly: it is creative: together, we can put forward and encourage positive new ideas to meet the needs of new generations of residents and businesses, to ensure a sustainable future for Hoylake.

All together it’s about managing change and influencing decisions. The Referendum will give YOU the chance to be involved, instead of leaving all future decision making in the hands of the council and developers.

How?We were granted legal authority to make a plan under the provisions of the Localism Act 2011. The referendum will be overseen by the council’s electoral services team. If you are eligible (you are over 18, registered to vote in local elections and live in the NDP area) you will be invited to go to a local polling station, just as you would in a normal election.

If more than 50% of those voting vote “Yes” it will become a statutory part of the planning framework alongside existing national and local legislation. The people of Hoylake will have greater control over what happens locally.

What if that doesn’t happen?If the plan fails to pass the referendum, it will no longer have any power to influence future developments or decision making. Hoylake Vision will no longer exist. It will be back to business as usual.

What if I don’t like parts of the plan?If the plan succeeds at referendum, there will be plenty of opportunities to review it and add new policies and ideas. The plan will be effective until 2020, during which time those new ideas can be incorporated and the plan will run for a further five years. So even if the plan isn’t perfect yet, we believe Hoylake is better off with a plan than without.

Anything else?We also need funds to support this "Yes" campaign. We need to print and distribute leaflets, posters and more.

Why do you need money?The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 prohibit the use of public money to campaign for a particular outcome in the forthcoming referendum on the Hoylake Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). It is therefore necessary to raise funds for a “YES” campaign from private and commercial sources. For the puroposes of the campaign, the address is Hoylake Vision "Yes" Campaign", The Parade, Hoylake Community Centre, Hoyle Road, Hoylake CH47 3AG.

In addition to any money raised in this crowdfunding campaign, the local Community Interest Company Hoylake Village Life CIC have funded the campaign to the value of £500.

So come on board. Read the plan, vote “Yes”, and join us in making the 2020 plan even better.